'Light to Gentiles’ (Luke 2:32, Acts 9).

Luke 1:78-79 (ESV) … because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.  

Merry Christmas from South Africa 2016

Dear friends,

Zechariah, filled with the Spirit, spoke of the coming of the ultimate sunrise bringing light to those sitting in darkness, guiding into the way of peace. Later Simeon, also filled with the Spirit, would hold the baby Jesus in his arms calling him a light of ‘revelation to Gentiles’ and ‘glory for Israel’ (Luke 2:32).

We pray that you will be filled with the ‘light and peace’ of Jesus this Christmas season. This Christmas is bringing us another transition for in January we’re moving back into a University flat (apartment). We will miss having a spacious house to show hospitality to International students. I won’t miss the yellow jackets (a German invasion), the flies (we’re near a dairy farm) or the squirrel from the roof that recently got into the kitchen. Then there’s watering the garden and cleaning the pool. Yes, we had a pool but keeping it clean and free of frogs is a hassle. We’ll also miss the rental Belgian Shepherd, Maxie that came with the house.

Carol service w/ DK and Kefas.

When I walk with Maxie in the hills not far from the house we pass a house with a large German shepherd. As we pass the house the two dogs bark furiously at each other on either side of the security fence. Somehow this reminds me of the barriers between the various ethnic groups that still remain here in the 'Rainbow Nation’.  America is a different place but when I watch media clips and read Facebook posts somehow I’m reminded of those two dogs growling on either side of a dividing wall.

In South Africa there are Christian churches of every ethnicity but little interaction between them. Unfortunately it seems we in the church are just as divided ourselves. Our ‘story group’ has been working through stories from the Book of Acts and the theme of the ‘one multi-ethnic’ family of Abraham comes up again and again. The stories show how the Holy Spirit powerfully worked to form one unified people of God, the Church. The Spirit was poured out on the Samaritans at the laying on of the Apostle’s hand (Acts 8:14-17) and the Jewish believers were amazed when the Spirit was poured out even on Gentiles in the household of Cornelius the Roman centurion (Acts 10:44-48).

That God wanted one multi-ethnic people of the Messiah really hit home when we discussed the story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-19). While on his way to Damascus Saul was blinded by the light of the glorified Christ.  Then when Ananias placed his hands on Saul he could see again. After being baptized, Saul preached Jesus fearlessly until he had to flee for his life from Damascus through the city wall in a basket. Later Saul joined the Apostles in Jerusalem where he spoke boldly about Jesus until he was forced to flee for his life to Tarsus. We are told that the church (singular) throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31).  

When Saul, the churches greatest antagonist, fled Jerusalem as a persecuted proponent the church, the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria experienced a time of peace. The one unified church in Judea, Galilee and Samaria is depicted as having the presence and power of the Spirit upon and it grew in numbers (9:31). What a powerful witness of God’s new society they were! They even sold their properties to care for those in need (4:34-35) and they feed their widows daily (Acts 6:1). The one multiethnic people of God showed unity and exhibited charity before the world that Israel’s Messiah was the Lord of all the earth.

Getting to know students from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and South Korea over the past year has been just a small taste of the one multi-ethnic people of God. Being privileged to hear their diverse perspectives on the ‘Story and stories of God’ has been for us a taste of the ‘light and glory’ that Jesus has and is bringing to the world. Thanks so very much for your prayerful support of the ministry God has given us here in South Africa.

With Love / Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Jay, Laura, Clara (11), Katherine (10) and Lauren Stoms (7).

We invite you to partner with us in prayer. To give financially please send donations on behalf of Jay and Laura Stoms to the Africa Christian Training Institute. Your generosity is deeply appreciated. Send a tax-deductible donation in care of Jay and Laura Stoms to: PLEASE SEND SUPPORT TO: 

Africa Christian Training Institute (Stoms Ministry Fund).
P O Box 15621
Panama City FL 32406-5621

Many Thanks 2016

Dear Friends and family,  

Lauren (7) with Maxi

The grey mountains that once held the chill and damp winter, later welcomed the spring rains and wild flowers, are now bathed in the large South African sun. The dry heat of Stellenbosch summer is settling in. The Guinea fowl have had their chicks and already left our abode for wider grasslands. The undergraduate students have finished their year, the graduate and post graduates are submitting theses and finishing reading for oral exams.  A few of the internationals we have met will go home to Zambia, Nigeria, or Korea for Christmas, while others like Gilbert from Ghana, who is about to get his Master’s in Food Science will stay through to begin his PHD. The campus can be lonely for the internationals as they feel like they are “alone” in studying at this time. With limited scholarships’, financial constraints, and often having to move to find a cheaper rent, these students carry a lot of stress and pressure to succeed. 

'Braai' for Internationals

On Sunday we hosted an international student braai (barbecue) with friends from Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Korea and South Africa. We had Nigerian rice and potatoes, Korean bbq, noodles and rice, as well as some American homemade ice cream, grilled chicken and salads.  Many helped and were encouraged by the fellowship of the many nations. A Korean friend, who has taught Katherine to watercolour paint, came with her husband.  She recently had shingles just as her husband’s Masters’ thesis was due, and we had not seen them out being social in quite a while.

On January 1 we move from our rental home. On 19 January we move back to the University of Stellenbosch housing flat on the campus.  The girls and I spent a couple of weeks cleaning, sorting and getting rid of stuff (the up side of moving) as they have finished their academic year. I struggle to get our black containers out yet, as I don’t quite want to feel in complete moving mode.  Clara has begun to grieve the loss of her own room, Katherine has photographed most of the garden, and Lauren sketches many pictures of Maxi, the Belgian shepherd “rental dog”, and I am expecting big tears. Meanwhile Jay is thrilled to reduce rent, as well as his facilities management and pest control efforts (squirrels in the roof, flies, sand fleas, tics, frogs, and wasps to name a few).  We hoped to secure a three week house sit (as most South Africans like to have someone in their home to prevent robbery while away). We have a week of house sitting, then will go to a pastoral retreat center with a Korean family and finally to a “basic house” belonging to a friend’s relative located by a river leading to the sea of great white sharks. This year Katherine has really enjoyed the ballet programs and Clara is swimming 4 days a week, trained by the University coaching staff. Lauren has joined ballet with Katherine and swims once a week. Both Katherine and Lauren received piano lessons from University of Stellenbosch students as part of the students’ requirements for study.   Katherine wants two birthday parties this year, one with her international student family and one with her two special ballet friends.

Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare to move again, to care for and transition the girls, each other and to seek to improve the care and encouragement in Christ to our international friends at the University of Stellenbosch.  I've struggled to communicate our situation, but I'm sending this update with thanksgiving and gratitude to each of you. We thank God for your generosity in both prayer and financial support this past year. 

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and We Wishing you a Merry Christmas Season. 

With love in Christ, Laura (on behalf of Jay, Clara, Katherine and Lauren)

'Philip an the Ethiopian' (Acts 8).

Background Story: God promised Abraham a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. Abraham’s descendants multiplied in Egypt but were enslaved. God delivered them ‘out of Egypt’ and called them to be a ‘kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ at Mt. Sinai. They occupied their homeland under Joshua and later God promised David a ‘perpetual kingship’ over God’s people. David’s son, Solomon, built the Temple as a dwelling for God, but Solomon introduced an idolatry that led to the destruction of the ‘Northern kingdom’ and the exile of the ‘Southern Kingdom’ in Babylon. They returned to their land but they remained under Pagan rule. Israel longed for a ‘conquering king’ and God sent Jesus. Jesus was ‘anointed by the Spirit’ at his baptism and he overcame the devil’s temptations in the wilderness. He gathered a ‘new people (12)’ around himself and after disciples recognized Jesus’ Messianic identity he was enthroned as ‘KING of the JEWS’ outside Jerusalem on a cross. He looked like a failure, but on the third day God raised him from the dead. He showed himself alive to his disciples, and then he ascended into heaven. From there he poured out his Holy Spirit empowering his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. In Jerusalem, the apostles proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Christ in Jerusalem though the religious leaders forbid they do so. When a disciple named Stephen testified how ‘Israel’s Story’ culminated in Jesus, the religious leaders had him stoned to death. Then a ‘great persecution’ scattered the believers who preached the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. The Samaritans believed and were baptized at the preaching of another disciple, Philip, and this brings us to the story of Philip and the Ethiopian from Acts 8. You can watch the story here and read the comments below.

The Ethiopian Eunuch: As we move through the Book of Acts we see the continued works of Jesus through his Spirit-filled Church. God sends an angel to direct Philip. Then the Holy Spirit spoke to Philip and directed him to a specific person at a particular place. Philip was one of the seven selected to oversee the feeding of widows. Then when persecution scattered the disciples, Philip went and evangelized Samaria. The Lord sent an angel who told Philip to go south to the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Without hesitation Philip went and there Philip met this Ethiopian man who was returning from worshiping God in Jerusalem. The Lord guided Philip both by an angel and by His Spirit. Philip was sensitive to God’s guidance and we see the gospel beginning to spread beyond Judea and Samaria.

On that desert road Philip met an Ethiopian eunuch, who was the official in charge of the treasury of the queen of the Ethiopians. This man was a worshiper of the God of Israel though he was not Jewish or even a proselyte to Judaism. He had been to Jerusalem to worship God, perhaps for one of the principle festivals, and was now returning to his home in Ethiopia. As he traveled he was seated in his chariot reading from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.  Having been directed to the road, the Spirit of God tells Philip to go over near the Ethiopian’s chariot. The Spirit tells Philip directly to stay near a very specific chariot. We aren’t told that Philip was seeking such guidance; we only know that Philip went to Samaria in response to the ‘great persecution’ and the command of Jesus (Acts 1:8). In Samaria crowds had listened to Philip preach Christ and do miracles and the Samaritans believed and were baptized.

Philip draws near the chariot where he hears the Ethiopian official reading from Isaiah the prophet. So Philip starts by asking the Ethiopian if he understood what he was reading. However, the man said the he needed someone to explain it and so he invited Philip to sit with him in his chariot.  He had been reading in Isaiah (Isaiah 53:7-8) where it says, “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was deprived of justice and who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from him.” Philip began by asking the man what he already knew. This implies that he could have understood without Philips help. However the man asks for help and so Philip was more than willing to help the man. What he wanted to know from Philip was whether the prophet Isaiah was speaking about himself or someone else?  So Philip began with that very passage and Philip told the man the ‘good news’ about Jesus. When they came to some water the Ethiopian eunuch wanted to be baptized. They stopped the chariot and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized the eunuch. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The Ethiopian didn’t see Philip again, and we are only told that he went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:30-39).

This Ethiopian man comes into the picture right after we find Samaria accepting the gospel which was one of the results of the Jerusalem believers being scattered. In this story we find the gospel beginning to move out from Judea and Samaria to reach an Ethiopian God-fearer. He had gone up to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel at the temple but being both a gentile and a eunuch he was essentially an outsider. We find him reading and seeking to understand the scriptures. When the Lord directed Philip to the Ethiopian and their paths crossed the man wanted Philip to explain the passage he was reading from Isaiah. Philip started with that passage and told him about Jesus. Seeing water the man wanted Philip to baptize him. Philip did this but when they came up out of the water Philip was mysteriously taken away leaving the Ethiopian to return home ‘rejoicing’!     

This man was privileged in that he was a trusted Ethiopian official. However, in another sense the man was an outcast. He was a physically disabled Gentile and as a gentile and a eunuch—he remained an outsider who wasn’t able to fully participate in the temple worship. While reading from the prophecy of Isaiah on his way home he meets Philip and he wants Philip to explain whether Isaiah was speaking about himself or someone else (Acts 8:27, 32, Isaiah 53:7). Philip took the opportunity to explain how this prophecy and Israel’s story had recently come to a fulfillment in Jesus. The Ethiopian had been wrestling to understand the book of Isaiah, a book that offers hope to eunuchs, and when Philip told him about Jesus from the passage he wholeheartedly accepted. The story tells us the Ethiopian went home rejoicing and Church history tells us that he not only brought Christianity to his homeland but that he was responsible for the conversion of many in Ethiopia.  

Isaiah 56:3–8 (NIV84) ³ Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.” And let not any eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” ⁴ For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— ⁵ to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. ⁶ And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve him, to love the name of the Lord, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— ⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” ⁸ The Sovereign Lord declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.”

Philip and the Samaritans (Acts 8).

Background Story: God promised Abraham a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. Abraham’s descendants multiplied in Egypt but they became enslaved. God called Moses and led Israel out of Egypt to Mt. Sinai where they were formed them into a nation. Israel entered their land under Joshua and later God promised David a ‘perpetual kingship’ over God’s people. David’s son, Solomon, built the Temple as a dwelling for God. However, Solomon introduced an idolatry that led to the scattering of the ‘Northern kingdom’ by the Assyrians and the exile of the ‘Southern Kingdom’ in Babylon. The Persians conquered the Babylonians and the Jews returned to their land but they remained under Pagan rule. God’s people longed for a ‘conquering king’ and God sent Jesus, who was ‘anointed by the Spirit’ at his baptism. Jesus overcame the Devil’s temptations and gathered a ‘new people (12)’ around himself. When his disciples recognized Jesus’ Messianic identity he went to Jerusalem where he was enthroned as ‘KING of the JEWS’ on a cross. He looked like a failure, but God raised him from the dead. After Jesus showed himself to his disciples he ascended into heaven. From there Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit to empower his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The apostles proclaimed Jesus as both Lord and Christ and their message spread and the numbers increased. The religious leaders forbid that the apostles teach or preach in the name of Jesus, but Peter and John couldn’t stop speaking about Jesus. Then when a disciple named Stephen told the ‘story of Israel’ as culminating in Jesus he was stoned to death for his testimony. After this a ‘great persecution’ broke out against the church and the believers were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. This brings us to the story of Philip in the city of Samaria from Acts 8. Watch the story here and read the comments below.

Philip and the Samaritans: Those who stoned Stephen to death placed their cloaks at the feet of the young man, Saul. So Saul approved Stephen’s death and a ‘great persecution’ broke out against the Jerusalem Church. Determined to destroy the church, Saul went from house to house, dragging off both men and women believers to prison. As a result of the persecution, all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. The apostles stayed in Jerusalem while all the others were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, and preached the word wherever they went. The believers fled the persecution to protect their lives but they didn’t stop doing what got them in trouble which was the preaching the word of God.

Philip, who was one of those selected to oversee the feeding of the widows (Acts 6:5) went to the city of Samaria. Crowds there gathered to hear Philip proclaiming the Christ and to see the miraculous signs he performed. Evil spirits came out of many. Many who were unable to walk were healed and there was great joy in that city. The ‘great persecution’ in the city of Jerusalem resulted in ‘great joy’ in the city of Samaria. The persecution scattered the believers who preached the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria just as Jesus had told them to do (Acts 1:8).

Now there was a man in the city of Samaria named Simon. He practiced sorcery and boasted that he was someone great. Some who were amazed by Simon’s magic followed Simon saying that he was some kind of ‘divine and great power’. When they heard Philip preaching the ‘good news about Jesus and the kingdom of God’ they believed and were baptized, this included both men and women. Simon also believed Philip and was baptized.   Simon followed Philip very closely and he was amazed by the signs and miracles that he saw Philip doing.

When they heard the news back in Jerusalem that these Samaritans had accepted the word of God, they sent the two most prominent apostles, Peter and John. Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them. They had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. This seems unusual in light of Peter’s message on Pentecost where Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).” These Samaritans believed Philip’s message about Jesus and were baptized but the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them. Then when Peter and John placed their hands on these Samaritans they received the Holy Spirit.

Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands. The Holy Spirit came on those Peter and John laid their hands on and Simon wanted this ability. When Simon offered the apostles money to get it he received a harsh rebuke from the Apostle Peter. Peter said, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!” Peter discerned that Simon’s heart was not right with God and that he was still full of bitterness and was captive to sin. Peter told Simon to repent and to pray to the Lord that the Lord may forgive Simon then Simon answered “Pray to the Lord that what you have said may not happen to me.” Simon boasted that he was great and who liked to exercise power over people. When Simon came across the superior power of Philip and later that of Peter and John Simon wanted this power for himself. After the rebuke Simon concern was that he didn’t lose his money and his life. After this Peter and John returned to Jerusalem and we don’t know whether Simon ever repented and was forgiven. We only learn that the apostles preached the gospel in many Samaritan villages on their way.

Did Simon really believe when he heard Philip preach the gospel? Simon believed and was baptized (8:13), but Peter described Simon as someone who had no share in the ministry of the gospel. Peter also said that Simon’s heart was not right before God and that he needed to repent of his wickedness because he was full of bitterness and captive to sin (8:20-23). Does this describe someone who has trusted Christ and has been transformed by the Holy Spirit? The Bible speaks of a faith that accepts the truth of Scripture without any spiritual transformation (Acts 26:27-28; James 2:19) and also speaks of a temporary faith, which embraces the gospel without any change of heart. It is only temporary faith (Matt. 13:20-21) because it fails to endure under trials and persecution (1 Tim.1:19-20; I John 2:19). The ‘New Covenant’ promise of the gospel was that God would cleanse from sin, replace the heart of stone with a new heart indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Ezk.36:25-27)! This story should push us to ‘examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith’ and to realize that Christ Jesus is in us—unless, of course, we fail the test? (2Cor.13:5).

How is it that Samaritans believed and were baptized and yet they didn’t receive the Holy Spirit? They believed but they didn’t receive the Spirit until after the apostles Peter and John laid their hands on them. When Philip preached Jesus and did the miracles both men and women in Samaria believed Philip’s message and were baptized. When the apostles heard about this, they sent Peter and John who prayed that they might receive the Holy Spirit. They had only been baptized into the name of Jesus so the apostles laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit (8:1-17). Why the delay in the receiving of the Spirit? Hadn’t Peter previously promised the ‘gift of the Spirit’ to those who would repent (Acts 2:38)?

Unlike Simon, nothing negative is said about the faith of these Samaritans (Acts 8:20-23). Also this is the first of only two accounts of the Spirit being given at the laying on of the apostle’s hands (Acts 8:18, 19:6). Simon witnessed some visible manifestation of the Spirit, but nothing is said about the ‘speaking in tongues’ and this event is very different than what happened at Pentecost (Acts 2). In Samaria the Spirit seems to have been uniquely manifested to emphasize that there was to be only one apostolic church. It was critical that Samaritans submit to Jesus’ Jewish apostles and for the Jewish believers to accept the Samaritans in that one apostolic church! At that time, Jews and Samaritans didn’t even associate with each other (John 4:9) so the unity of the one body of Christ was at stake. This is significant for us today as our witness is hindered by the many divisions in the church (John 17:20-21).

'The Stoning of Stephen' (Acts 6-7).

Background Story:

God called Abraham promising him a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. Abraham’s descendants multiplied but they became enslaved in Egypt. God called Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt to Mt. Sinai where God formed them into the ‘Nation of Israel’. God led them into their land under Joshua and later God promised David a ‘perpetual kingship’ over God’s people. David’s son, Solomon built the Temple as a dwelling for God, but he also introduced an idolatry that led to the scattering of the ‘Northern kingdom’ by the Assyrians and the exile in Babylon of the ‘Southern Kingdom’. When the Persians conquered the Babylonians they let the Jews return to their land but they remained under Pagan rule. God’s people longed for a ‘conquering king’ and God sent Jesus. Jesus was ‘anointed by the Spirit’ at his baptism. He overcame the Devil’s temptations and proclaimed the ‘Kingdom of God’. He gathered a ‘new people (12)’ around himself and when they recognized his Messianic identity he went to Jerusalem where he was enthroned as ‘KING of the JEWS’ on a cross. Yet, God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus showed his disciples that he was alive and then he ascended into heaven. From there Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit to empower his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 

The apostles, Peter and John, healed a crippled beggar in the temple courts and explained that the man had been healed ‘in the name of Jesus’. Peter told the religious leaders that they had crucified Jesus, but God had raised him from the dead. This message continued to spread and the number who believed continued to increase. The religious leaders forbid that the apostles teach or preach in the name of Jesus in an effort to stop the message from spreading. But Peter and John had to obey God and couldn’t stop speaking about Jesus. In the previous story we saw what happened to ‘Ananias and Sapphira’ who lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 4-5). Now we look at the story of the ‘stoning of Stephen’ (Acts 6-7). Watch the story here and read the comments below.

Stephen tells Israel's Story:  Their numbers were increasing, and they distributed food with their widows daily. However, things were not perfect for some widows were being favored and others were being neglected. So the apostles came up with an idea but trusted the community to settle the matter. The community was to select spiritually wise representatives to distribute the food fairly. They chose Stephen, he was a man full of the Spirit and wisdom, and 6 others who the apostles laid hands on and prayed for. In this way the ‘word of God’ spread and their numbers continued to increase. The early followers of Jesus shared their resources and lived as the extended family of Abraham. They had problems for some of their widows were being neglected in the distribution of food. The apostles let the people chose seven who were known to be full of the ‘Spirit and wisdom’ to take on this responsibility. The apostles had been doing the work themselves and yet there were still problems.  The crisis served to prioritize the ministry of the ‘word of God and prayer’ for the apostles (5:20). The community chose seven who were full of the ‘Spirit and wisdom’.  This was spiritual work and apostles set them apart by laying hands on them and praying for them. In this way the ‘word of God’ spread and their numbers continued to increase (Acts 6:1-7).

One of the seven was Stephen, a man full of God’s Spirit, wisdom, grace and power. Stephen did ‘signs and wonders’ but some from a local Synagogue opposed Stephen. They couldn’t stand up to Stephen’s wisdom or to the Spirit by which he spoke so they seized Stephen and brought him before the religious authorities. They got some false witnesses to testify that Stephen never stopped speaking against the temple and the law. They also claimed that Stephen said that Jesus would destroy the temple and change the Mosaic Law. Yet, Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law and that the temple would be destroyed within a generation (Matt. 5:17, 24:2, 34). So Stephen stood without fear before the religious leaders, with his face shining like that of an angel. Stephen defended himself by telling Israel’s story beginning with God’s covenant with Abraham. Stephen retells Israel’s story showing how their fathers rejected both Joseph and Moses who God used to rescue them. Moreover, Stephen connects the Abrahamic covenant with the story of the Exodus, and his story culminates in his vision of Jesus.

Stephen emphasized how God called Abraham in Mesopotamia to leave that country and that people to go to the land God would show him.  Abraham obeyed and after his father died God sent him to the land where Stephen and his hearers were living. Abraham had no land and no children, but he had God’s promise that he and his descendants would possess the land. This would not be until after 400 years in a land not their own where they would be enslaved. Yet, God would punish their oppressors and they would return to the land to worship God. God gave Abraham the ‘covenant of circumcision’ and when Abraham became the father of Isaac and he circumcised Isaac on the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of Israel’s twelve patriarchs. The patriarchs were Israel’s fathers but they sold their brother Joseph to be a slave in Egypt out of jealousy. However, God was with Joseph and caused the Pharaoh to put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. Then when a famine struck Egypt and Canaan, Jacob sent their fathers to Egypt to buy grain. On their second trip to Egypt, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers. Joseph sent for his father Jacob who brought his whole family, 75 in all, down to Egypt where Joseph could take care of them. God used Joseph, who they rejected, to rescue them and preserve their family. They settled in Egypt and died there, but they were brought back and buried in Canaan in the tomb Abraham had bought in Shechem.

The crucial moments in Israel’s nearly 2000 year history revolved around God calling Abraham, the calling of Moses, the Exodus and the giving of the law. In addition God uniquely shaped the lives of Joseph and Moses in order to rescue Israel. Again, Stephen tells this story to indicate how Moses, like Joseph, was Israel’s rejected rescuer. Stephen also pointed out how God called the place where God revealed Himself and His saving purpose ‘holy ground’. The Israelites multiplied in Egypt but they became enslaved by a Pharaoh who didn’t know Joseph. This Pharaoh forced them to throw out their newborn babies and this is when Moses was born. Moses was protected by his parents for three months then he was then placed outside. Pharaoh’s own daughter recused Moses and raised him as her own son in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. 40 years later, Moses saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite. He killed the Egyptian and he thought the Israelites would realize that God was using him to rescue them but they didn’t. The next day Moses tried to reconcile two Israelites who were fighting, but the Israelite who was in the wrong said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?  Do you want to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?’  So Moses fled Egypt and settled in Midian, and another 40 years had passed when the Lord called Moses from the flames of a burning bush near Mount Sinai. The Lord revealed Himself to Moses as the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and he told Moses to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. God went on to say that He had seen the oppression of His people in Egypt and He had come down to rescue them. They had rejected Moses but God would send the very same Moses back to Egypt to deliver Israel out of Egypt (Acts 7:17-34). Moses did signs and wonders, leading Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea and for 40 years in the desert.

This is the Moses who was with the Israelites in the assembly in the desert and who God spoke to on Mt. Sinai giving him living words to pass on to them. Again, Stephen emphasizes how their fathers had rejected Moses and the law. The rejected Moses who had fled to Midian was called by God to return to Egypt to rescue Israel. Moses delivered Israel out of Egypt and he was given words of life, referring to the 10 commandments. But Israel turned back to Egypt in their hearts when they had Aaron make an idol for them to worship. This would happen again and God would carry them away into exile in Babylon. Stephen points out that they did this even though they had the tabernacle with them. Under Joshua they brought the tabernacle with into the land they took from the nations God drove out before them. The tabernacle remained in the land until David asked to build a house for the God of Jacob, though it was Solomon, David’s son, who would build the temple. While the temple was a more permanent dwelling for God, but Stephen points out that no man-made temple could contain the Lord of heaven and earth. Stephen concluded by saying that his hearers were no different than those who had persecuted the prophets. They were like those who killed those who predicted the coming of the ‘righteous one’ for they had murdered Jesus. They were stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and resistant to the Holy Spirit. They had the law but they didn’t obey it. His hearers were enraged but Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, saw heaven open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Refusing to listen, they dragged Stephen out of the city and they laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning him to death Stephen, in imitation of Jesus, prayed, “Lord, receive my spirit” and, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:39-60).

Those opposing Stephen had descended from Abraham, but they weren’t obeying God like Abraham. They had accused Stephen of speaking against the law but they were being like their forefathers who had rejected Moses and the commandments God. Instead of acting like heirs of the Abrahamic covenant they were the heirs of those who persecuted the prophets and killed those who foretold the coming of the righteous one. They were like those who had the tabernacle in the wilderness but God wasn’t with them. For the ‘Most High’ doesn’t live man-made temples for the prophets had said that Heaven is God’s throne, and the earth is God’s footstool. Stephen’s vision demonstrates that the temple was superseded by Jesus. The high priest and the religious leaders condemned Stephen but Stephen’s Daniel 7 like vision of Jesus showed that Israel’s history culminated in Jesus and that Jesus stood as Stephen’s advocate. The story shows how important it is to be able to tell the story of Jesus as the climax of the Old Testament story. Then with the story of Jesus as the foundation, the ongoing story of the church is the continuation of the Jesus story.

'Ananias and Sapphira' (Acts 4-5).

Backstory: God called Abraham promising him a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. Abraham’s descendants became slaves in Egypt, so God called Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt to Mt. Sinai where God formed them into the ‘Nation of Israel’. God led them into their land under Joshua. Later God found David to be a king after His heart so He promised David a ‘perpetual kingship’ over God’s people. David’s son, Solomon built the Jerusalem Temple as a dwelling for God, but he also introduced an idolatry that led to the ‘Northern kingdom’ being scattered by the Assyrians and the ‘Southern Kingdom’ being ‘exiled in Babylon for 70 years’. The Persians conquered the Babylonians and let the Jews return to their land but they remained under Pagan rule. God’s people longed for a ‘conquering king’ to liberate them. God sent Jesus, who He ‘anointed by the Spirit’ at his baptism, and who overcame the Devil’s temptations. Jesus proclaimed the ‘Kingdom of God’, gathered a ‘new people (12)’ around himself and once they recognized his Messianic identity he went to Jerusalem where he was enthroned as ‘KING of the JEWS’ on a cross. Yet, God raised Jesus from the dead and Jesus showed himself alive to his disciples before he ascended into heaven. From there Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit, empowering his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The apostles, Peter and John, amazed the people by healing a crippled beggar in the temple courts. Peter explained that the man had been healed ‘in the name of Jesus’ who they had crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. They acted in ignorance but the ‘prophets’ had foretold that the Christ would suffer so they were to ‘repent and turn to God’. Peter said that Jesus would remain in heaven until he returned to restore all things. Now number believed was over 5000 and when the religious leaders heard Peter’s preaching Jesus, they put Peter and John in prison. When questioned, Peter and John said that it was by the ‘name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth’ that the man was healed and that there was ‘no other name by which we can be saved’. To stop this message from spreading, the religious leaders forbid that they teach or preach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John had to obey God and couldn’t stop speaking about Jesus. The crowd was praising God so the leaders didn’t know what to do. They threatened the apostles and let them go. When Peter and John told their fellow believers what happened they prayed and God shook the place where they were and they were filled Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God boldly. This brings us to the story of ‘Ananias and Sapphira’ from Acts 4-5 which you may watch here and read the comments below.

Ananias and Sapphira: Now we find all the believers were together and unified. They shared everything in common and the apostles testified powerfully about the resurrected Christ.  Some believers even sold their houses and their land and gave the money to the apostles to be distributed to those in need (4:34). These believers shared everything in common and they were God’s ideal community. God had established the ‘new covenant’ through Jesus and they were the renewed ‘covenant community’. Jesus had claimed to have brought about the Jubilee (Luke 4:18-19) and these believers are described in terms of the Jubilee (Deuteronomy 15:4) ‘there will be no needy person among you, because the Lord is sure to bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.’ They were the true covenant community who had experienced the forgiveness of sins and who had been released from their debts (Luke 4, Isaiah 61). A man named Barnabas, a true Levite, sold some land and entrusted the proceeds to the Apostles. As a true priest among a ‘kingdom of priests’, Barnabas sold his property and the apostles shared the proceeds with those in need (Ex. 19:6, 1 Peter 2:9).

Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold some land but claimed to give all the money from the sale to the apostles. But they kept some of the money for themselves which was revealed to Peter. Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to kept some of the money you received for the land for yourselves?”  Evidently, Ananias was trying to make it look like they were giving all the money from the sale to the church ?as Barnabas had. According to Peter, Satan had put it in Ananias’ heart to lie to the Holy Spirit so that Ananias had not lied to men but to God. Then Ananias mysteriously fell down and died and some young men came in, carried out Ananias’ body, and buried him. The result of all this was that ‘great fear’ seized all who heard about this.

According to Peter, the land and the money belonged to Ananias so it is not that Ananias had to do what Barnabas had done. The problem with Ananias and Sapphira was that they were deceiving the community and lying to God the Holy Spirit. Sapphira was unaware that Ananias had died so when Peter asked her about the price of the land she had the opportunity to tell the truth. Yet, she continued the lie, which according to Peter was ‘testing the Spirit of the Lord’. Peter, mysteriously, was made aware that Sapphira would suffer the same fate as her husband. She died and the young men who buried Ananias buried her as well. The result was that ‘great fear’ seized the whole church and all who heard about this (Acts 5:1–11). This story is similar to the story of Achan (Joshua 7). After the victory at Jericho, Achan had taken some of the things that were to be devoted to the Lord, and had kept them for himself. Achan’s deception, like that of Ananias and Sapphira, was exposed and a supernatural judgment resulted.

The apostles continued to perform ‘signs and wonders’ and the people held them in high regard. Due to the circumstances, people were fearful about joining them, and yet the number of those who believed increased. The people put their sick on mats in the streets hoping that if Peter’s shadow passed by them then they would be healed. Moreover, crowds from all around Jerusalem brought their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed. The miraculous signs validated the apostle’s message, but the high priests and the religious leaders were filled with jealousy. They put the apostles in jail, but the Lord sent an angel who released them and told them to go into the temple to speak the message of ‘new life’ (5:12–16). In the morning the apostle went into the temple to teach he people while the religious leaders of Israel met to discuss the problem of the apostles. They sent to the jail for the apostles but they found the jail locked and guarded with no one inside. Then someone reported that the men they had put in jail were in the temple courts teaching the people. They had the apostles brought to the elders without using force for fear that the people might stone them. The high priest questioned the apostles about their filling Jerusalem with their teaching and that they were trying to make them responsible for Jesus’ death. The religious leaders feared the people, but the apostles feared and obeyed God rather than men! They testified that the religious leaders had hung Jesus on a tree, but that the God of their fathers had raised Jesus from the dead. Moreover, God had exalted Jesus to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. The apostles were witnesses of these things and so was the Holy Spirit, whom God gives to those who obey him (5:17–32).

The elders were furious and they wanted to kill the apostles. However, Gamaliel, a Pharisee respected by all the people, stood up and addressed them. Gamaliel gave two examples of men who led revolts but were killed so that their movements died with them. Gamaliel’s advice was to let the apostles go for if their purpose was of human origin it would fail. On the other hand, if it was from God then wouldn’t be able to stop it for they would be fighting against God.  Gamaliel persuaded them so they flogged the apostles, ordered them not to speak in Jesus’ name and let them go.  The apostles left rejoicing for being considered worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus. Moreover, despite the warning, the apostles went daily into the temple courts and from house to house proclaiming that ‘Jesus is the Christ’ (5:33–42).

These religious leaders, instead of being guardians of Biblical faith, they were actually opposing God and God’s people. They were filled with jealousy and they wanted to kill the apostles until Gamaliel intervened. Gamaliel’s wise words won the day so the elders took his advice and left the apostles alone. The story highlights how far we fall short of the example set by the early church. The unity of purpose and the care they had for one another puts us to shame. The generosity of Barnabas in selling his property and sharing the proceeds with the community should challenge our complacency. The powerful working of God’s Spirit and the bold proclamation of the apostle in the face of opposition even their glorying in suffering for Jesus should humble us. Let us to pray in the words of the psalmist, “will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6, NIV84)

Peter Heals a Cripple (Acts 3-4).

Backstory: God had called Abraham promising him a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. Abraham’s descendants became slaves in Egypt, so God called Moses to led Israel out of Egypt. At Mt. Sinai God formed them into the nation of Israel and eventually led them into their land under Joshua. Then God found a king after His own heart in David and promised him a ‘perpetual kingship’ over God’s people. David’s son, Solomon, built the Jerusalem Temple as a dwelling place for God, but his many foreign wives introduced an idolatry that split the nation. The ‘Northern kingdom’ would be scattered by the Assyrians and the ‘Southern Kingdom’ was later taken into ‘Exile in Babylon for 70 years’. The Persians conquered the Babylonians and allowed the Jews to return to their land but Israel remained dominated by various Pagan empires. God’s people were waiting for God to send a conquering king to liberate God’s people and God sent Jesus. After being ‘anointed by the Spirit’ at his baptism, Jesus overcame the Devil’s temptations and he proclaimed the ‘Kingdom of God’. Jesus formed a ‘new people (12)’ around himself and once his disciples recognized his Messianic identity he made his way to Jerusalem where he was enthroned as ‘KING of the JEWS’ on a cross. Three days later Jesus was ‘declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead’ (Romans 1:4). Then Jesus showed himself alive to his disciples and ascended into heaven. He told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem and then on the ‘Day of Pentecost’ God poured out his Spirit on disciples empowering them to be his witnesses. This brings us to the story of Peter healing a crippled beggar at the temple gates. Watch the story being told and read the comments below.

A Cripple is Healed: The apostles, Peter and John, were on their way to the temple to pray when a crippled beggar asked them for money. Peter tells the beggar that they didn’t have money but Peter tells the man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Then Peter helps him up by the hand. The man’s legs became strong so that the man was able to walk into the temple courts, jumping and praising God. Peter had something better than money and he didn’t even ask if the man wanted to be healed. Peter just told the man to get up in the name of Jesus and then Peter helped the man up and he was able to walk. Clearly the point of the story is that the ‘name of Jesus’ carries the restorative power of God.

The people recognized him as the cripple who normally begged at the temple gate and they were ‘filled with amazement’. They gathered around looking at Peter and John as if by their own power and godliness they had healed the crippled man. Peter wanted them to look to Jesus who the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had glorified. They had turned Jesus over to Pilate who was willing to release Jesus but they had Pilate release a murderer instead. According to Peter, they killed the ‘author of life’ but God raised him from the dead. Peter and John were witnesses of this and the healing confirmed their testimony. It was not that Peter and John had special power or that the name of Jesus is magical. They trusted in Jesus who had the power and it was through faith in the name of Jesus that the man was made whole (3:16).

The God of the Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had glorified Jesus, who the people of Israel handed over to Pilate. They killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. Peter and John were eye-witnesses and the healed man validated their testimony. Peter said that Israel and their leaders had acted in ignorance but they were without excuse since the ‘prophets’ had foretold that the Christ would suffer. Therefore they were to ‘repent and turn to God’ and they would be forgiven and ‘refreshed’ by God sending the appointed Christ Jesus. For now Jesus would remain in heaven until his return at the time when God would restore all things. After his ascension, Jesus waits for the time to return to renew all creation and to make heaven and earth one as foretold by the prophets.

The Israel story was culminating in the Jesus story. Jesus was the prophet like Moses who would usher in an age foretold by all Israel’s prophets. The story of Jesus was the unexpected fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to bless ‘all peoples on earth’. The resurrection and ascension of Jesus was the culmination of the story told by all of Israel’s prophets. The appropriate response was to repent of their wicked ways and turn to the resurrected Jesus. Israel and their leaders had killed the Christ in ignorance, but they were without excuse for all the prophets had foretold these days.

The religious leaders heard Peter’s preaching of the resurrection of Jesus and they were greatly disturbed. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, responded boldly by saying the crippled man had been healed in ‘the name’ of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Many believed the message and the number of believers increased to over 5000. The religious leaders, however, put Peter and John in prison overnight.  The next day the religious rulers questioned Peter and John about the healing. Then Peter ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ made it clear that all Israel needed to know that it was by the ‘name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth’ that the man stood healed. Moreover, the whole incident showed that there was salvation in no one else and that there was no other man by which we can be saved, other than the name of Jesus.

The religious leaders were astonished by the boldness of these two ‘unschooled ordinary’ men. They knew that their courage came from being with Jesus. Now they couldn’t deny that a miraculous healing had occurred because the man was standing right there. Peter had said that the miracle had been done in the ‘name of Jesus’; who they had crucified but whom God raised from the dead. To try to stop the message from spreading they threatened the apostles and forbid that they teach or preach in the name of Jesus. However, for Peter and John to obey the religious leaders would mean they would have to disobey God. So Peter and John said that they couldn’t stop speaking about what they had seen and heard. Now the crowd was praising God and the leaders didn’t know what to do. They threatened the apostles and let them go.

They were ‘untrained, ordinary men’ but they had the first-hand experience of being with Jesus and that was the source of their bold witness. They had a clear and focused way of understanding Israel’s story as culminating in Jesus. They proclaimed the risen Christ who had transformed them and they were not going to stop testifying about the Jesus they had seen and heard. The crowd was praising God and not knowing what to do the leaders further threatened them and then released them. Peter and John went and told their fellow believers all that had happened. They went to God in prayer and asked Him to continue to do miracles in Jesus’ name and to enable them to speak the word with boldness. God answered their prayers by shaking the place where they were and filling them with the Holy Spirit, so that they spoke the word of God boldly.

Ironically they don’t pray that the Lord would judge those who were threatening them. They didn’t pray that the opposition and the persecution would stop. They prayed, ‘Lord, please continue to work miracles in Jesus’ name and enable us to speak boldly and work powerfully among us.’ What they wanted was for God to miraculously work among them and that they would be enabled to speak of Jesus boldly and confidently. They wanted God’s powerful presence, shaking them up, filling them with the spirit, and giving them boldness. How should we respond to their example? Do we want and pray for what they wanted?

The 'Day of Pentecost' (Acts 2).

The Backstory: Remember how God called Abraham and promised him a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. Abraham’s descendants multiplied but were enslaved in Egypt. God called Moses who led Israel out of Egypt to Mount Sinai were God formed them into the nation of Israel that was to be ‘kingdom of priests’. They began to take possession of their land under Joshua but they would need a king to be a ‘light to the nations’. God found in David a king after His own heart and promised David a ‘perpetual kingship’ over God’s people. It was David’s son, Solomon, who built the Jerusalem Temple as a dwelling place for God among His people. But Solomon’s many foreign wives introduced an idolatry that split the nation. The ‘Northern kingdom’ would be scattered by the Assyrians and the ‘Southern Kingdom’ was later carried into ‘Exile in Babylon for 70 years’. When the Persians conquered the Babylonians they allowed the Jews to return to their land but Israel remained dominated by various Pagan empires. God’s people were waiting for a ‘conquering king’ to restore the kingdom and God sent Jesus, who was announced by John the Baptist and ‘anointed by the Spirit’ at his baptism. Then Jesus, after overcoming the Devil’s temptations in the wilderness, went around proclaiming the ‘Kingdom of God’. Jesus formed a ‘new people (12)’ around himself and once his disciples recognized his Messianic identity he made his way to Jerusalem where he was enthroned as ‘KING of the JEWS’ on a cross. He looked like a failure, but three days later Jesus was ‘declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead’ (Romans 1:4). Then after showing himself to be alive to his disciples with many convincing proofs he ascended into heaven after telling his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Father, the promised Holy Spirit. This brings us to the ‘Story of Pentecost’ from Acts 2. Watch the story being told and read the comments below.

Pentecost (Acts 2):

On the ‘Day of Pentecost’ all the believers were gathered together when the sound of a violent wind filled their house. Something like tongues of fire came down and rested on them. They were ‘all’ filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. God-fearing Jews from throughout the empire were in Jerusalem for Pentecost crowded around the house. The crowd was amazed because they heard these Galilean disciples ‘praising God’ but each in their own languages. Some in the crowd wanted to know what this meant but others accused the disciples of having had too much wine (Acts 2:1-13). So Peter addressed the crowd to explain the matter.

Pentecost was an agricultural festival fifty days after Passover. Pentecost was a celebration of the first fruits of the harvest and it had become associated with the ‘giving of the law’ at Sinai. The law was given at Sinai roughly 50 days after that first Passover. All this was a reminder of God bringing Israel out of Egypt and into the land promised. So the day was about God providing for His redeemed people whom He called to do His will on the earth. Moses had gone up Mt. Sinai and had come down with the law, and external summary of God’s will. In his ascension, Jesus had gone up into heaven and at Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down to empower God’s people to do God’s will. At Sinai 3000 were put to death because of the idolatry of the ‘golden calf’ incident. Yet, at Pentecost 3000 were baptized and added to the number of God’s people (Exodus 32:25-28, Acts 2:41).

Pentecost advanced the story of the covenant God made with Abraham to bless the world (Genesis 12:1-3, Galatians 3:8, 14). Abraham’s call follows and reverses the ‘Tower of Babel’ incident where God had confused language to prevent the people from working together in opposition to His will (Genesis 11). In contrast at Pentecost when the disciples declared the ‘wonders of God’ those in the crowd were enabled to hear them in their own languages with no translation. This linguist unity was a testimony that God was now extending His reign throughout the earth (Acts 1:8). This was the Spirit’s empowerment which Jesus had promised to enable his disciples to testify about him throughout the earth. So Pentecost represents a significant advance in God’s plan to bless the world through Abraham. To do this God was now has pouring out His Spirit on ‘all people’ as foretold by the Prophet Joel (Acts 2:4, 17, Joel 2:28-32).

Some in the crowd sought an explanation while others thought the disciples were babbling drunkards. So Peter explained that this was what God had said through the prophet Joel regarding God pouring out His Spirit on ‘all people’ in the ‘last days’. Their sons and daughters would prophesy, their young men would see visions, their old men would dream dreams and God would poured out His Spirit on ‘all His servants’. The ‘last days’ had come and the final ‘Day of the Lord’ when the sun would go dark and the moon would turn to blood would come. For now God would pour out His Spirit on ‘all peoples’ including all genders, all ages, all ethnicities and all who calling on the Lord, that is Jesus, will be saved (2:21). 

Peter preached Jesus as a man who had been accredited to them by signs and wonders and yet they had handed Jesus over to be put to death on a cross. But this was all part of God’s set purpose for David had foretold how God would ‘not abandon Jesus to the grave, or let His Holy One see decay’ (Psalm 16).  King David had died and was buried but God had promised to enthrone one of David’s descendants (2 Sam.7:12-14). David had foretold the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus Christ. So God exalted to Jesus to His right hand and Jesus had poured out the Holy Spirit. This was Peter’s explanation for what was observed that day at Pentecost. David hadn’t ascended into heaven, and yet the Psalm (Ps 110) said, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”  Peter concluded by announcing that God had made the crucified Jesus, both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:22-36). The resurrection confirmed that Jesus was true Messianic Davidic king and the ascension indicated that Messiah Jesus was the Lord of all the earth. This is the good news is that Jesus is both Messiah and Lord, and in his death Jesus had conquered sin and death changing everything.

Peter’s hearers were ‘cut to the heart’ and asked what they should do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter assured them that the promise was for them and for their children and for all who were ‘far off’; for all who the Lord would call. 3000 believed Peter’s message and were baptized. The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and to prayer as essential practices. They shared everything in common and the apostles did many miraculous signs. They met together daily in the temple courts and they broke bread in their homes regularly and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:37-47).

These early Christians were a family unified around the resurrected Christ who had ascended into heaven where he was enthroned as the Lord of all the earth. From his heavenly throne Jesus had poured out God’s Holy Spirit and as a result these early Christians simply couldn’t help but speak about the Jesus they had seen and heard. Their speech was transformed but so were their lives for they were a family that shared everything in common. As we reflect on this early Christian community we can only wonder why we fall so short of their example. 

'The Ascension and Promise (Acts 1)'.

We have told the story of Jesus and then we went back and told the story from creation to the conquest of Canaan. We're now going to jump ahead to the story of the early church from the Book of Acts.  

Background Story: God called Abraham promising him a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. Abraham’s descendants multiplied in Egypt but were enslaved. They cry out and God called Moses to deliver them from Egyptian slavery. God bound Himself to Israel in covenant at Sinai forming them into a ‘kingdom of priests and a holy nation’. They begin to take possession of their land under Joshua but the chaotic period of the Judges showed that they would need a king to be a ‘light to the nations’. God found in David a king after His own heart and He promised David a ‘perpetual kingship’ over God’s people. David made plans, but David’s son, Solomon, built the Jerusalem Temple as a more permanent place for God to dwell among His people. But Solomon took many foreign wives which introduced an idolatry that split the nation. The ‘Northern kingdom’ would be scattered by the Assyrians and the ‘Southern Kingdom’ was later carried into ‘Exile in Babylon for 70 years’. The Persians, who conquered the Babylonians, allowed the Jews to return to their land. The temple was rebuilt but things fell desperately short of the ‘glories of the prophesied coming kingdom’. So Israel remained dominated by various Pagan empires. The OT ends with God’s people waiting for a ‘conquering king’ to come and restore the kingdom.  

Into this story Jesus was announced by John the Baptist. At his baptism Jesus was ‘anointed by the Spirit’ and declared to be God’s son (Luke 3:22). Jesus was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he overcame the temptations of the Devil, after which Jesus went around proclaiming the ‘Kingdom of God’ and ‘casting out demons by the Spirit of God evidencing that the ‘Kingdom had come’. Jesus formed a ‘new people (12)’ around himself and once his disciples recognized his Messianic identity he made his way to Jerusalem where he was enthroned as ‘KING of the JEWS’ on a cross. He looked like a false Messiah defeated by the Romans, but three days later Jesus was ‘declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead’ (Romans 1:4). This brings us to the ‘Story of the Ascension’ from Acts 1. Watch the story being told and read the comments below.

ACTS 1:1–26.        If Luke’s gospel is the story of what Jesus began to ‘do and teach’ then the Book of Acts is the story of ‘what Jesus continued to do and to teach’. Acts is the sequel to Luke’s gospel and it is based on the resurrection. If there was no resurrection then there would be no continuation to the ‘Jesus Story’ and no hope of transformation. But after dying on a Roman cross Jesus gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He also taught his disciples about the ‘kingdom of God’ over a forty day period. Both the resurrection of Jesus and his teaching regarding the ‘kingdom of God’ were central and essential. Now the next step for the disciples was to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. John had baptized with water in preparation for the Messiah (Luke 3:16) but they would be baptized with the Spirit who would empower them to testify about the resurrected Messiah (Acts 1:1-5).

The disciples wanted to know when Jesus was going to restore the kingdom to Israel. But they were not to know the ‘dates and times’. They needed to know that the Spirit would empower them to testify about Jesus throughout all the earth. The disciples, like many Jews of that day, believed that the Messiah would restore Israel as top nation (Psalm 72, 89) and bring God’s judgement on the rest of the world. But their concept of the kingdom of God needed to be transformed. Then Jesus was taken up into the sky and hidden from their sight by a cloud. They stood gazing into the sky when two ‘men in white’ said that Jesus would return in a similar fashion as he was taken up into heaven. King Jesus had ascended to be enthroned in heaven and the next big thing was that the Spirit would be poured out to transform the world. The ‘Story of Jesus’ would continue by the Spirit-filled Church making known by ‘word and deed’ that Messiah Jesus was the world’s true Lord.

After Jesus’ ascension into heaven the disciples returned to where they were staying in Jerusalem. There they gathered together constantly for prayer. Peter stood among the 120 believers and said that the words of scripture that the Holy Spirit spoke through David had to be fulfilled regarding Judas. Judas had shared in their ministry but he accepted money for guiding those who arrested Jesus. Judas bought a field with the money he received for betraying Jesus where he fell headlong and his body burst spilling his intestines (Acts 1:12-20). Peter understood through what was written in the Psalms, that another would have to take Judas’ place of leadership (Ps 69:25, 109:8).

The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus correlate to the twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve represent the restored people of God. So Peter reasoned from scripture that they would need to replace Judas and a twelfth would need to be selected as his successor. It would need to be someone who had been with them from Jesus’ baptism until the ascension of Jesus into heaven. This shows that these early Christians saw Jesus and themselves as Jesus’ disciples to the continuation of the kingdom and through them the ‘Jesus Story’ would continue. But how could such a motley crew play such an important role? They would do this through the Spirit of God dwelling with them and within them.

So they decided to replace Judas to be one of the twelve and to share in their apostolic ministry. He would need to someone that had been with them from Jesus’ baptism to the time Jesus ascended. Together they would be witnesses that Jesus was the resurrected Messiah who had ascended into heaven. They selected Joseph, called Barsabbas, and Matthias and they prayed that the Lord would reveal the one He had selected. Then they caste lots and Matthias was selected to join the eleven apostles. But how could they be sure of the Lord’s leading as they sought to do the Lord’s will? They were led by the Apostles who were directed by the scriptures and prayer within the context of the community of believers. They gathered in constant prayer and they sought the Lord’s guidance and they acted as informed by the scriptures (Acts 1:20-26).

Despite their flaws, they could be sure that God was directing them, after all even the selection of Judas was part of God’s sovereign plan. Soon, they would have an even greater sense of the presence of the Lord with them to empower them to do God’s will when the Spirit was poured out on them. The resurrected Jesus ascended but the Spirit would be poured out so that the ascended Lord would dwell among them by the Spirit (Revelation 1). They had anticipated Jesus reigning from a throne in Jerusalem but Jesus would now reign from God’s right hand over all creation. The resurrection proved that Jesus was Israel’s true messianic king but the ascension meant that same Jesus was Lord of all the earth. Jesus would empower them by the Holy Spirit so through the Spirit-filled Church Jesus’ Story would continue.